Govt conspiring to keep BNP leaders out of polls: Nazrul

BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan today alleged that the government is conspiring to keep top BNP leaders away from polls by punishing them in “false cases”.

Pointing at recent killing of two foreign nationals, the BNP standing committee member said the government is blaming the party without any investigation into the heinous killings.

“The government is accusing our leaders including the party’s Dhaka city unit member-secretary [Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel] of their involvement in the killings. But it’s not right to accuse anyone without proper evidence,” Nazrul said while addressing a programme at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka.

Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal organised the programme seeking early recovery of BNP chief Khaleda Zia, who is now in London for eye treatment.

“Conspiracy is going on to keep BNP leaders out of elections. But big leaders are not necessary to win any polls,” he added.

“This government is afraid of facing a competitive election and is conspiring to hold another ‘January 5 election’ by keeping its main opponents out of the race.”

Meanwhile, Nazrul also alleged that BNP Vice-Chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka has been punished in a corruption case depriving him of his right to self-defence.

Khoka has been undergoing treatment in the USA with an order of the apex court, Nazrul said, adding: “Why it became so necessary to punish him without giving him a chance to exercise his right to self-defence. There is certainly a conspiracy behind this.”

A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced Khoka to 13-year imprisonment in a case filed for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information about that in absentia.